(Photo: Lorenza Daverio) How is it possible that, until five years ago, nothing was known about Italian composer Umberto Giordano’s first work? This is the question that inevitably arises upon learning about the program that prompted this article. The answer seems simple if one considers that it was Giordano himself who chose to withdraw it from public life, as it {…}
(Photo: Dario Acosta) Eleonora Buratto is set to star in the world premiere of Giordano’s “Marina.” The opera, which will be part of the 81st season of I Pomeriggi Musicali at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, Italy, will all star Freddie De Tommaso, Mihai Damian, and Nicolas Mogg. Vincenzo Milletarì will conduct the concert production. Ahead of both performances {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences get to hear a lost concert from a legendary tenor, an homage to a great singer who we lost too soon, a new album from one of the great tenors of our time, and a new song by a rising {…}
(Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera) Puccini’s “La Bohème” is the Met’s warhorse. Since the inception of Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic production in 1981, it might very well be the emblem of grand opera in the world’s most epic 4,000-seat opera house. The audience still goes nuts when the curtain rises on Act two and the house tends to sell well {…}
(Credit: Evan Zimmerman / Metropolitan Opera) The Metropolitan Opera is set to present Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème” in Live in HD. The company will showcase the work on Nov. 8 with a cast that includes soprano Juliana Grigoryan as Mimì and tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Rodolfo. They will be joined by soprano Heidi Stober and baritone {…}
(Photo Credit: Evan Zimmerman / Metropolitan Opera) Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème” is set to return to the Metropolitan Opera. The production, which opens on Oct. 21, will be performed 20 times. The first cast of five performances will feature soprano Juliana Grigoryan and tenor Freddie De Tommaso alongside soprano Heidi Stober, baritone Lucas Meachem, baritone Sean Michael {…}
(Credit: Marco Brenner) The Royal Opera House is set to bring Puccini’s “Tosca” to cinemas on Oct. 1, 2025. The new production by Oliver Mears is conducted by Music Director Jakub Hrůša and stars Anna Netrebko, Freddie De Tommaso, and Gerald Finley. When the production opened on Sept 11, critics raved and said, Netrebko’s “‘Vissi d’arte’ was excellent, dripping with {…}
(Credit: Marc Brenner) I’ve previously opined that Puccini’s Tosca is perhaps among the least plausible of tales in the repertory and that the problem with long-running or much revived productions is that, unless you can constantly attract new audiences, they can only stand the test of time for so long. This Oliver Mears’ exciting new production has the potential to {…}
Sonya Yoncheva and Freddie de Tommaso are set to revive Giordano’s “Marina.” The performances will be held on Feb. 12 and 14, 2026 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan and will feature the world premiere of the lost opera in a critical edition by ura di Andreas Gies, Editio Princeps, Libreria Musicale Italiana, Edizione Nazionale delle Opere di Umberto {…}
Classic FM has announced that tenor Freddie De Tommaso will return to host a brand new 4-part series, “Around the World in Eight Opera Houses.” The tenor will bring audiences on a very personal journey through eight of the world’s most legendary opera houses and the performances that have graced their stages. The series will begin on August 8 at {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the Film Festival on Vienna’s Rathausplatz. The company will present operas on 10 Sunday evenings at the Haus am Ring. Here is a look at the program: The festival opens with Puccini’s “La bohème” from 2022 featuring Vittorio Grigolo, Anna Netrebko, Günther Groissböck, and Nina Minasyan. Date: June 29, 2025 Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” from 2022 features {…}
